Thirty Minutes
by Birdie num num
Summary: Mertil can do nothing except wait and trust that his shorm will rescue him. Song fic! Song is Thirty Minutes by t.A.T.u


DISCLAIMER: I do not own Animorphs or this song by Tatu. I am a retard with no life and an obsession with Animorphs.

This is a song fic. For those who have no clue what a song fic is, you basically rape a song with a fanfic'ed scenario from a favorite fandom. It is much fun.

Warnings: Possible "slash" fluff depending on how you read it. ;D

_**Song Title: 30 Minutes by Tatu **_

_**Out of sight, out of mind, **_

I closed my main eyes, listening intently for my shorm's thoughtspeech voice in my head. My hearts ached after a moment when there was only silence. I was probably too far out of range.

_**out of time to decide **_

Why? Why was it that I should spend my shorm's last days crippled thus and captured by our worst enemies - used as bait to lure another slave? With not even a tail to properly balance me in this vehicle when they drove, I often fell onto my side. And with captors who would hardly care or listen to my thoughtspeech cries of anger and frustration, all I could do was wait.

I thought back to all of the times Gafinilan had told me to keep hidden. How I foolishly had not listened and allowed myself to get caught on that tape.

_**Do we run, should I hide? **_

I thought of how it had been he who had cared for me, even though I was crippled. Of how even though I had lost my tail blade and with it all my honor and dignity, he had cleaned the stump of it's blood. Of how he had been there for me, held me when I was weak even though he himself was growing weaker day by day. Of how he had continued treating me as the same 'Mertil' when any other Warrior in such a position, lost on an alien planet, would have abandoned a Vecol or even put them to death to avoid having to care for them.

I thought of how he had given me something, someone, to hold out _for_.

_**For the rest, of my life **_

Most Vecols would spend their lives alone in solitude. Among our people it was to intended to give them dignity; through isolation. I had never thought much about vecols, until I became one myself.

Then I realized the truth. There had been no dignity in my loneliness these past weeks. That it was a lie. My People just didn't want to look at vecols because my People could only accept perfection.

I thought of how Gafinilan had been willing to sacrifice his honor, trade someone else into slavery just to free his friend. I thought of how even at that moment, he was willing to_ die_ in the hope of freeing me.

It was then that I fully realized, that I finally acknowledged, just how truly, how deeply my shorm cared for me.

I looked up as I could barely hear my shorm's voice.

_**Can we fly? Do I stay?**_

(Mertil! Where are you?)

I rose to my hooves with an eyesmile on my face.

(Gafinalan!) I tried to think of how to express what I had seen outside through a tiny hole in the vehicle's side. (I...I am in some kind of graveyard. Why do you ask?)

I waited a moment longer and he soon replied. (They say that it is impossible for there to be a graveyard this way, however. Are you sure it is a graveyard?)

I sighed and revised my explanation. (I...when the guards opened the door of my current prison, I was able to glimpse several large, boxlike, rectangular vehicles somewhat similar to the one in which I am being held...They...are made of metal but rusted. I assumed they were abandoned, and that is why I call this a graveyard of sorts...) I heard my friend chuckle and felt a little embarrassed. Then I asked the question that I could scarcely believe the answer to, though I already knew it.

(Are you...coming for me Gafinilan?)

A moment of silence. And then my friend's voice.

(Of course I am coming for you, my shorm.)

_**We could lose, We could fail **_

(Gafinilan! I cannot let you do this!) I cried, my hearts still unwilling to believe he would do such a thing for me. Such dedication was uncommon, almost unnatural among Andalites. Such emotion overcoming reason!

(You...do not take this to offense my shorm, but you are not as strong as you once were-)  
_**  
In the moment it takes**_

I could tell by the way that his thoughtspeech voice was gaining strength in my head, that he was getting closer.

(I am and will_ always _be strong enough when my shorm needs me.)

_**To make plans or mistakes**_

I fell silent and by my silence, I suppose he knew that I was knew I was powerless to stop him in his choice. My hearts felt strangely warm at his words. There was something in his tone...something about the way he said 'shorm.'

In the darkness of the vehicle where I was captive, I eyesmiled, knowing that I was not only the luckiest vecol alive - I was the luckiest Andalite alive.

_**Thirty minutes, a blink of an eye**_  
_**Thirty minutes, to alter our lives**_

(Gafinilan...I think they are moving me soon...) I said after a little while.

(When? And where to?) he said, sounding as if he were about to panic.

(I am not sure,) I said, feeling regretful I had said anything about it at all. (And I cannot give you any details about where...)

I suddenly realized that if he was not able to free me now, the Visser would know all the same that he had tried to help me, and I would be killed before Gafinilan could find me and help me again.

It was as if Gafinilan understood this too and I could feel it...the unspoken fear and uncertainty between us. Warriors did not express fear. Warriors did not talk of their feelings.

But shorm did.

(You must go.) I told Gafinilan.

_**Thirty minutes to make up my mind  
Thirty minutes to finally decide**_

(We will see you in a few.) Gafinilan said softly and I wondered at the strange phrase. It was not an Andalite phrase.

But before I had time to ask him, I heard a shout, "Andalite!"

(No!) I cried.

And the sounds of battle began. Draconfire went off around the vehicle I was in. I shuddered at the thought of it being struck with a Dracon shot and being burnt alive in the explosion it would be engulfed in.

Ashamed of my cowardice, I forced myself to be strong.

(Gafinilan, do not do this!) I cried again. (I cannot...I cannot let you! Please! I do not need you...I do not want you to do this for me!)

_**  
Thirty minutes to whisper your name  
Thirty minutes to shoulder the blame **_  
_**  
**_(Mertil, you cannot stop me from doing anything,) his voice held a gentle laugh. (Now be quiet and let me concentrate!)

(Gafinilan...) I sighed. I could picture him, fighting in battle. I had fought alongside him so many times. He was so strong, my shorm Gafinalan. I had been so proud to call him my shorm - to fight next to him.

What was wrong with me? Why was I talking as if he were dead? This was Gafinilan!

And he would always be strong when his shorm needed him.

_**  
Thirty minutes of bliss, thirty lies  
Thirty minutes to finally decide  
**_

The sounds of battle raged beyond my walls and I listened, desperate to hear his voice. Then something happened that made my hearts skip beats, like young Andalites leaping over fallen trees that were almost too high.

The vehicle I was in began to move!

(Gafinilan!) I cried. (They...they are moving me...)

(I-I...we are coming for you...my friend...)

(Gafinilan!) I cried again. He did not respond! My hearts began to ache...was my friend...was he dying? (Gafinilan!)

_**Carousels  
In the sky  
That we shape  
With our eyes**_

My prison continued on, heedless of my cries. Until...

WHUMMPF!

I cried out as something struck the top of the vehicle and knocked me off of my hooves.

I pushed my torso up by my arms and looked up at the roof after a moment.

(Gafinilan?) I called out to him again. My friend did not reply however. The anxiety inside...I thought I would die from the helplessness and frustration.

Whatever it was, it began to move toward the front of the vehicle, making loud, thumping noises.

Suddenly, the vehicle slammed on it's breaks and my body was thrown agains the front wall of it.

(Auuughh!) I cried out.

_**Under shade  
Silhouettes  
Casting shade  
Crying rain**_

I slowly pushed myself up after a moment, rubbing my head. As I had just risen to my feet, the vehicle squealed forward -

SCREEEEEEE!

(Gafinilan!) I cried out again as I was thrown to my side. The driver had never gone this fast before! What was going on? Was he that desperate to get me away? What was happening?

_**Can we fly?  
Do I stay?  
We could lose  
We could fail**_

And where was my friend?

(Gafi-)

CRAAAAAASSSHHH!

My body was thrown up against the front of the van again as the train struck something...something large, much larger than Gafinilan or any living thing, I was sure of that. As I was blacking out from being thrown, I wondered if perhaps the Yeerks were playing some kind of sick game with me, to kill me.

_**Either way  
Options change  
Chances fail  
Trains derail**_

(Mertil!) a voice called my name after a few moments. (You okay?)

I blinked as I slowly dragged myself up. That was definitely not Gafinilan. Nervousness in my hearts, I wondered again where my friend was. If he even still _was_. If he had died trying to save his friend...a vecol...

Was I okay?

(I am as I was.) I mused.

I soon heard whoever it was rummaging with the door. I waited patiently. I had been waiting this long. I could wait a few moments longer to be free...

But where was Gafinilan? __

Thirty minutes, a blink of an eye  
Thirty minutes, to alter our lives 

(Let's get this open,) another voice said (Before the gas tank blows or something.)

I realized I hadn't thought of that possibility and suddenly my stomach began to feel very heavy, as if full of some kind of metal. My liberators struggled a little more with the door, with no success.

(Let me try my trunk,) the other voice spoke again in frustration.

(Be my guest,) the first muttered.

(Marco! Rachel!) another voice called. Who were these people?

I remained silent, fearing the worst news of my shorm...my dear friend... What if my friend had died to save me?

Would live be worth living if I no longer had him to hold out _for?_

**_Thirty minutes, to make up my mind  
Thirty minutes, to finally decide_**

(We're trying to get Mertil out,) the second voice explained to the newcomers.

(Is he...?) a familiar voice spoke and my hearts took another leap together.

(I am fine, Gafinilan,) I answered. (Though still in this box.) I wanted to laugh. As if the box even mattered...oh wait it did. The gas tank could still blow!

(I will open the truck,) my shorm said and for a moment I wanted to ask him to wait, to be careful-

CLAAAANG! I jerked at the tremendous sound of my shorm's blade slicing through human metals. In front of me was a large slit with the point of his blade - a blade I could recognize because I had seen it nearly all my life - sticking through it. I grinned with my eyes, unable to help myself.

SKKREEEEEUUUUULLLL! The sound of it tearing the metal made me cringe a little however, and I quickly covered my ears with my hands. The sound was reverbrating in this box I was in!

(Very cool,) one of the other voices said. I did not know what this meant but decided the tone was one of approval.

Through the slit he had created, I could see Gafinilan step back a little. I felt a little sad suddenly, knowing why I would have to do the rest. Gafinilan's tail and hooves were probably bothering him.

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!

And so I kicked my own way out.

What had my friend gone through physically to save me?

_**  
Thirty minutes, to whisper your name  
Thirty minutes to shoulder the blame**_

I stepped out and looked at him with concern in my eyes.

(I am fine, Mertil,) he said softly in private, and I sagged with a groan as the weight of my fears slipped out of me all at once.

(Gafinalan...) I said happily, longing to...I blinked rapidly to think of what I wanted to do at that moment. To touch my hand to his cheek? Among males it was not only uncommon - it was _unnatural_.

But I had not seen my beloved shorm in weeks. _Beloved_...I blinked rapidly at the word...

And hadn't Gafinilan already shown he was unnatural for caring about me, a _vecol_, so much?

(I know,) he chuckled. (I almost thought I was gone too. I am sorry I frightened you my friend.)

(Frightened is not the word!) I said and we both laughed.

(Are you alright?) he asked privately.

(Yes,) I said eyesmiling - the weeks of loneliness and isolation behind me already.

_**  
Thirty minutes of bliss, thirty lies  
Thirty minutes to finally decide**_

When we were safe from the trainyard finally, I spoke to those who had helped to free us. I was shocked to find out they were, in fact, humans who could morph. Gafinilan quickly filled me in on their whole story and I was awed.

(I am surprised,) I said plainly, (that you were willing to risk your lives for me. As I am.)

I then held the stump of my tail down against my body, as flat as it could go, an uncomfortable position, embarrassed that I had spoken out and now they were all looking at me. I could see in the eyes of the one Andalite Aristh disgust. It did not surprise me. The Visser's eyes had been full of disgust.

_**To decide  
To decide, to decide, to decide**_

(We don't know what you mean,) one of them said kindly.

(I will explain,) the young Andalite said, his voice full of pride and arrogance. I could not hate him. I had once been the same way, I knew. (He means that he is surprised we normal, healthy warriors risked our lives for a mere vecol,) he paused and aimed a stalk eye at one of the humans. (Or, as Marco says, someone who is "differently abled.")

I looked curiously to the human Marco as the humans' conversation depreciated into an argument. Aximili soon said something that made me force back an eyesmile.

(...Under ordinary circumstances, in general Andalite society, it is simply not natural to show such concern for a _vecol_.)

(So friendship isn't natural?) the human Rachel snapped. (It's abnormal?) I wanted to laugh suddenly.

Their arguing started up again, and finally I could see Aximili was a little perturbed that his human friends did not readily agree with him.

_**To decide**_

(Mertil-Iscar-Elmand,) he said respectfully (It has been an honor to meet you. I will always remember you as you were.)

I eyesmiled at him, knowing that while it was hardly praise, it had been difficult for him.

The human Prince Jake offered to help us get back home. Gafinilan accepted. Then he said,

(And then you will be so kind as to let us be. My time is running out. I would like to end my days honorably and in the company of my dearest friend.)

My hearts aching, knowing that he spoke in truth, knowing he had made up his mind and would not go back now, I still honored my shorm as I spoke.

_**To decide, to decide, to decide**_

(As Gafinilan has cared for me, so now I will care for him. It is my duty.)

Later, we were finally alone together at our human house again. I was gently putting warm, wet rags onto Gafinilan's great muscles to help him relax, when he asked me a question.

(Is it only because...it is your _duty_, that you will care for me, my shorm?) His eyes made me sad. They held a question...and so much longing.

I eyesmiled, gently massaging the rags into his aching shoulders.

(I will be strong for my shorm, because he was strong for _me_.)

__

To decide...

;D Hope you guys enjoyed that. Melikes Mertil and Gafinilan. They be some of meh fave charries.

__


End file.
